Demon Slayer 2 by Lord Olo & Televangel
- Monk
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
THE LORD IS STILL WORKING
Lord Olo and TELEVANGEL return with a follow-up to their remarkable 2024 LP, Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer 2 is a fitting title for this new project, as it takes listeners into familiar territory but also manages to expand on it in significant ways. Once again, Seattle's Lord Olo and Portland's TELEVANGEL team up to execute some demons and deliver one of the year's better projects.
Demon Slayer 2 is self-explanatory; Lord Olo spends an abundance of time candidly acknowledging personal shortcomings and violations against him while also demonstrating hope, resolve, determination, and survival. This could easily have been an unnervingly dark experience. But Lord Olo isn't one to wallow in the darkness and allow the demons to define him. He acknowledges the hard times while drawing strength and inspiration from his faith and the love and endurance of the people in his life. On "Demon Puncher," he raps:
"Thinkin' you could possess me, I got the spirit of God n**** test me/ Four years old step cousin molest me, got that off my chest, now my demons at rest/ We, doing better, I'm doing the best at this"
It's a vulnerability that's not so common these days, especially among men, in a social climate where everybody is perfect and full of judgment. The line is delivered with the same cavalier attitude that permeates throughout the album's 15 songs. Thanks to Lord Olo's outlook, Demon Slayer 2 plays like a groovy, uplifting, and motivational soundtrack rather than something brooding and soaked in despair. His rhyming is as sharp and as purpose-driven as ever, while it deftly bounces between clever multi-syllable rhyme schemes, invigorating melodies, and hypnotizing choruses. Demon Slayer 2 features equally inspired appearances from some of the best in the Pacific Northwest, including Nacho Picasso and Dizzi Slick, Jaxsaun, Donormaal, and Milc.
TELEVANGEL has been on a winning streak; Demon Slayer 2 not only keeps the streak going but further cements him as one of the best producers out there. It's definitely a continuation of the sound he's been working with for the last several years. Normally this could be a negative, but somehow TELEVANGEL continues to find unexplored nooks and crannies to facilitate new avenues of expression in his compositions. These instrumentals are just as dexterous and unpredictable as Lord Olo's rhymes. The result is a soulful and warm, uplifting sound that's strong enough to hold these bars and give the listener some confidence and comfort at the same time.
Overall Demon Slayer 2 is a welcome release from 2025, It's some of the best work out right now. It's themes and quality of execution ensures that it will be one that can stay in rotation for months to come.
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Features: Milc, Dizzi Slick, Jaxsaun, Donormaal, Nacho Picasso
Top Songs: BEAT EM!, The Side, Get It Shawty, Aggressive, Heat Check, Hysteria
Words by Monk
